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Baby Fox Reuniting Effort Update

5:58 PM · Apr 8, 2021

Baby fox update: We went back out last night to attempt to reunite the baby fox. Becky, Nikki, Abraham (all from Umpqua Wildlife Rescue) and I went back out to the property where the fox was found to see if we could lure the parents back in. The homeowners have been very helpful. Last night's mission was tricky because we needed to do it late in the evening when the foxes were going to be more active and it was dark, but that also meant it was cold. So we ran long extension cords out into the field to a heating blanket to keep the baby warm. A pool was constructed to keep the baby from escaping, but open for the mama to jump in and grab the baby. Becky made a recording of the baby fox crying, which I had Elijah cut and mixup into a 5 minute mixtape of baby fox cries. We then got a bluetooth speaker and put it out into the field near the baby fox and we went back near the house to sit in our cars and watch. We even had night vision monocular to make sure a predator didn't come in and steal the vulnerable baby fox. I'm pretty sure Abraham would have set a speed record had he seen a coyote or bobcat show up haha The recording worked very well! Within minutes we could hear both parents slowly moving towards the baby and calling back. We got one of the parents in so close that we could even hear it moving through the brush off in the distance, but it wouldn't come out into the field. We have some theories about why, possibly our scent being blown straight in that direction, some of the light from the house nearby, the pool blocking the view of the baby, some persons techno dance music from a few miles away pounding non-stop the entire time, possibly the sight of our cars nearby? We were so close, but eventually, the cold and time caused us to have to give up late last night. We will try again, make some changes, and try again on a warmer night in a week or two. It was encouraging to hear the parents nearby and respond and come closer. We're still very hopeful about getting them reunited. Will keep you posted!